STAR TREK 2 Rumor: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Villainous Role Revealed?

The nature of the villain role played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the Star Trek sequel may have just been revealed. In the interests of keeping the front page spoiler-free, I’ll keep this brief and vague with all the important information after the jump. There are some additional spoiler-y bits that include cameos and alien races that could be featured in the sequel. And, as always, nothing is confirmed, so file these rumors under “extremely likely.” The film stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, John Cho, Alice Eve, Peter Weller and Noel Clarke.Star Trek 2 opens May 17, 2013. Hit the jump to get spoiled.

In case you clicked here by mistake or are reading this in your feed, I’ll try to save the spoilers for later on. In the meantime, you can get caught up on all of our previous coverage on the Star Trek sequel here, including set photos, a set video featuring a fight scene and comments on the sequel from writer/producer, Roberto Orci. Ready for the real news? Check it out below this lovely Star Trek image:

Ready now? TrekMovie has reportedly confirmed the rumor that Benedict Cumberbatch’s villainous role is none other than Khan, the genetically engineered space tyrant. Originally played by Ricardo Montalban, Khan was rumored to be the sequel’s villain when Abrams was auditioning Latino talent like Benicio del Toro; the role ultimately went to Cumberbatch after was was called a “very powerful audition.” The site also reports that although Khan will be the antagonist in the sequel, the plot will not revolve around the original Star Trek series episode, “Space Seed,” where Starfleet first encountered Khan.

The other minor spoilers in the film include the return of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime, a fact that the actor himself revealed during an interview with CNN and a recent tweet. Nimoy’s work for the film is reportedly complete, which will make Star Trek 2 his eighth film appearance in the series (William Shatner is next at seven). Lastly, the Klingons might be making an appearance in the Star Trek sequel. The adversaries were left on the cutting room floor in the original, but are reportedly too vital to the storyline to be left behind this time. Star Trek 2 is currently on schedule to finish up shoots in Northern California, having wrapped in Southern California and on stages. Check back shortly for rumor confirmation.